Door hinge



Jan. 24, 1939. M, 2,144,863

DOOR HINGE Filed April 17, 1937 Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE noon HINGE Application April'17, 1937, Serial No. 137,385

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in the structures of doors and the concealing of door hinges and the uniting therewith of the cowl light.

In present automotive practice the hinges for the doors project outwardly from the body and leave a somewhat unsightly or objectionable appearance. There is also usually formed on the automobile body a belt molding extending therearound and across the door. In the present invention, advantage is taken of the usual belt molding'to conceal the hinge and also to combine with the forward end of the molding at the cowl the usual cowl lights.

On the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of an .automotive vehicle showing the invention applied.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, the open position of the door being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

On the drawing the numeral 2 indicates as a whole the body of an automotive vehicle. The body has the cowl 4, the windshield 6, the front door pillar 8, the rear door pillar II and the door ID the latch of which is operated by the handle I2. The door is equipped with the usual shiftable window 14.

In modern automotive practice it has been customary slightly to taper the body from the bottom toward the top so that the upper'hinge I6 projects outwardly a considerable distance from the door as is indicated by the position of the knuckle l8 of the hinge in FiguresZ and 3. It is the object 'of the invention to conceal this projecting part of the hinge and to combine therewith the usual cowl light.

There is accordingly formed in the door a channel 22 in alignment with the usual belt molding 20. This channel may taper from the 'end 24 where it aids in concealing the hinge to the other end 26 where it mates with the molding 20 of the body proper. The channel or molding 22 may be pressed directly into the exterior metal panel 28 of the door. The end 24 has an arcuate part 30 which fits into a corresponding arouate part 32 on a channel member 34 secured onto the body 2 at the front door pillar 8 in alignment with the channel 22 on the door. channel 34 has the lateral flanges 36 which fit under the metal of the outer skin of the body 2 and are suitably welded in place. The channels 22 and 34 therefore form a continuation of The each other and conceal the knuckle l8 of the hinge as is best shown in Figures 2 and 3. The arcuate parts 30 and 32 enable the opening of the door as is best illustrated in the full and dotted line positions shown in Figure 2.

The channel 34 is open at its two ends and in the outermost end there is fitted and secured the glass 38 of a cowl lamp. The glass 38 preferably has a part or a flange; indicated in dotted outline by the numeral 40, which extends into the channel34. The other end of the glass 38 runs into a tip 42 to give a neat appearance. In' other .words, the glass 38 tapers gradually from the' channel 34 to the tip 42 and its back liesclosely in contact with the body' 2. A bead 43 may be used around the edge of the glass 38.

The hinge l6 itself comprises the leaves 44 and 46 which are secured respectively to the pillar 8 and the door ll. They are held together by means of the pintle or pin 48 passing through suitable aligned openings in the knuckle l8. Suitable antisqueak material 50 is provided between the pintle 48 and the knuckle member of the leaf 46.

I claim:

1. In combination with a hinge of the door of an automotive vehicle, said hinge projecting away from the plane of the outer surface of the door, a channel formed in the door in alignment with the hinge, a channel on the door pillar adjacent the hinge and in alignment with the door channel, said channels being closely juxtaposed and concealing the hinge.

2.-In combination with a hinge of the door of an automotive vehicle, said hinge projecting away from the plane of the outer surface of the door, a channel formed in the door in alignment with the hinge, a channel on the door pillar adjacent the hinge and in alignment with the door channel, said channels being closely juxtaposed and concealing the hinge, and a cowl light glass at the end of the second named channel and forming a continuation thereof.

3. In combination with a hinge of the door of an automotive vehicle, said hinge projecting away from the plane of the outer surface of the door, a channel formed in the door in alignment with the hinge; a separate channel attached to the door pillar adjacent the hinge and in alignment with the door channel, said channels being closely juxtaposed and concealing the hinge.

4. In combination with a hinge of the door of an automotive vehicle, said hinge projecting away from'the plane of the outer surface of the door, a channel formed in the door in alignment with the hinge, and a channel on the door pillar adjacent the hinge and in alignment with the door channel, said channels being closely juxtaposed and concealing the hinge, the juxtaposed ends of the channels being of arcuate shape to enable the door to open and close.

5. In combination with a hinge oi the door of an automotive vehicle, said hinge projecting away from the plane of the outer surface of the door, a channel formed in the door in alignment with the hinge, and a channel on the door pillar adjacent the hinge and in alignment with the door channel, said channels being closely juxtaposed and concealing the hinge, the pivot of the hinge being inside the door channel.

6. In combination with a hinge of the door of an automotive vehicle, said hinge projecting away from the plane of the outer surface oif the a,144,ees

door, a channel formed in the door in alignment with the hinge, a channel on the door pillar ad- 7. In an improvement for a vehicle body hav- 7 ing a cowl, a front door and a rear body part,

a strengthening rib on the cowl, a strengthening 1o rib on the door, a strengthening rib on the rear body part, said ribs being in alignment and forming continuations of each other, a hinge for the door, said hinge being concealed by the ribs on the cowl and door, and a cowl light transparency 1 on the cowl and forming a continuation of the cowl strengthening rib.

MALCOLM F. WEBBER. 

